Veteran broadcaster and te reo Māori advocate Dr Julian Wilcox has been appointed the new chair of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori – the Māori Language Commission, taking over from Professor Rawinia Higgins.
Acting Māori Development Minister Shane Jones confirmed the appointment, saying Wilcox brings extensive knowledge and practice of te reo Māori alongside governance and leadership experience across Māori and public-sector organisations. His three-year term begins immediately.
Wilcox has spent more than two decades working across Māori broadcasting and language revitalisation. His career has also included senior executive and governance roles, including serving as chief operating officer of Ngāi Tahu and holding senior positions through Te Whare o Kupe. He was recently appointed to the board of Whakaata Māori.
His appointment places him at the helm of one of the country’s key te reo Māori institutions as work continues towards ambitious national language revitalisation targets.
Under the Crown’s Maihi Karauna strategy, targets for 2040 include having at least one million New Zealanders able and confident enough to discuss basic matters in te reo Māori, 85 percent of New Zealanders valuing the language as an important part of national identity, and 150,000 Māori aged 15 and over using te reo as much as English.
Wilcox has signalled that strengthening the everyday use of te reo within whānau, hapū and iwi will be central to keeping the language thriving, while also highlighting opportunities for organisations involved in Māori language revitalisation to work more closely together.
Jones also acknowledged outgoing chair Professor Rawinia Higgins, recognising her contribution to strengthening the status, use and visibility of te reo Māori during her tenure.
The appointment sees another prominent Māori language leader take up the mantle previously held by figures including Tā Tīmoti Kāretu, Tā Kingi Ihaka and Tā Patu Hōhepa, as Te Taura Whiri continues its mission to ensure te reo Māori is heard, spoken and celebrated throughout Aotearoa.
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